Small businesses honored for their work in county

Paul Benton, with microphone, thanks his employees at Chevrolet Cadillac of Goldsboro after his company was named the Small Business of the Year by the Small Business Center at Wayne Community College.

Small businesses were honored Thursday night at the Chamber of Commerce's Business After Hours event at the Country Inn and Suites.

The Wayne County Small Business of the Year Awards are sponsored by the Small Business Center at Wayne Community College. Awards include New Business of the Year, Innovation Award and Small Business of the Year.

This year's Innovation Award was given to Wall 2 Wall photography, the New Business of the Year Award went to The Cain Gallery and the Small Business of the Year honor went to Chevrolet Cadillac of Goldsboro.

Julie Wall, owner of Wall 2 Wall Photography, said she was excited, surprised and honored to win the Innovation Award.

"I was on vacation in California when I found out," she said. "I about jumped out of the car."

The business, which specializes in green screen portraits, was nominated by Brenda Warren, Mrs. Wall's former boss.

"Wall 2 Wall Photography has been active in Relay for Life for several years, donating art prints for auctions, as well as donation of her time and talent for fundraising portrait sessions. She has additionally created and donated custom motivational posters for the police department at Wayne Memorial Hospital," Ms. Warren wrote in her nomination letter.

David Cain, owner of The Cain Gallery in downtown Goldsboro, said he was completely shocked that he won the New Business of the Year Award.

"I knew I was nominated, but I just kind of blew it off," he said. "I'm very flattered and very humbled."

The Cain Gallery, which opened in 2006, was nominated by the Downtown Golds-boro Development Corpor-ation. The nomination letter acknowledges Cain's involvement in the community in addition to his involvement with the DGDC.

"He travels with ball teams for fundraisers, and he supports the Goldsboro Ballet and In His Steps Dance Studio through various in-kind and other measures. He also does some professional work to assist Wayne Christian School and works with Seymour Johnson Air Force Base supported sports and child development programs."

When announcing the winner of the Small Business of the Year, Ray Burrell, WCC vice president of continuing education and workforce preparedness, recognized the CCOG's good business practices.

"The company and its 62 employees are members of or actively participate in around two dozen community organizations, ranging from Crime Stoppers to Red Cross and Special Olympics to Center Stage Theater. We at the college especially appreciate CCOG's support of our Automotive Service Educa-tional Program," he said.

When accepting the award, owner Paul Benton called the other CCOG employees in attendance to accept it with him.

"We've got a good group of people in our organization," Benton said. "It's humbling and it's wonderful to be appreciated by the community."